Percy Jackson, AKA Riptide
by Kkoko88
Summary: When Percy Jackson goes missing, taken by HYDRA, for five years, he returns with no memories other than his orders. To HYDRA, he is the Olympian, a weapon of mass destruction. Breaking free of HYDRA's control, he takes refuge with the Avengers. To the heroes and to himself, he is Riptide. Unfortunately, HYDRA wants its weapon back. ((Leads up to AoU and will continue past. AU)).
1. Chapter 1

A light burned softly in the lab, shining down upon a capsule. The room was icy cold, each breath puffing out in white plumes from the scientist's mouth. The scientist turned to his compatriot, speaking in German, "The Olympian is almost ready for field testing, sir." At this, he shifted his view to the capsule, staring through the ice to the young man inside. The boy was seventeen years old, a little over average height, and lean, with well-defined muscles. His hair was black, falling slightly into his eyes, which, when open, were a bright sea green.

The other man turned to the subject as well, studying him. "Are you certain? HYDRA will not tolerate any more mistakes from you," he replied, also speaking in German. The scientist shivered slightly, but not from the cold.

"Yes, he is ready," the scientist assured, although his voice quavered. The other man examined the subject for a moment longer, letting out a contented sigh.

—Line Break—

Three Months Later

Steve Rogers, also known as Captain America, stared at the victim of his frustration, a punching bag. "Now, what did that punching bag ever do to you?" A feminine voice inquired, laced with a bit of humor. Steve turned around, only to find a certain red head.

"Natasha. It's been a while," he greeted. "Are you back on the grid now?"

The spy nodded, trying to smile. All of her covers had been blown during the incident with the Winter Soldier, and she had had to go deep underground until the dust settled. "I've found another of HYDRA's projects, one I thought you might be interested in," Natasha explained, offering Steve a folder. Hesitantly, he took it, wondering if this had something to do with Bucky. "HYDRA calls him the Olympian. He's not enhanced, but he's powerful none the less. The plan, from what I've learned, is to rent him out as a weapon of mass destruction to anyone who can supply enough cash."

Steve flipped through the folder, studying each page. The boy was young, maybe seventeen years old. "What exactly can he do?" he asked, locking eyes with Natasha.

Letting out a sigh, Natasha replied, "The origin of his powers is unclear, but he can control water with incredible strength. If he willed it, he could cause tidal waves and tsunamis. He also has limited teleportation abilities that seem to be linked to water vapor."

Steve reached the final paper in the folder, his eyes alighting upon a missing persons report. "Perseus Jackson?" He asked, looking up at Natasha for a moment. She remained silent, and he continued reading. "He went missing five years ago but was identified at the scene of several water-based natural disasters during that time, reportedly acting confused and unsure of who he was. He disappeared again before he could be questioned further." Steve let out a sigh before shutting the folder. Finally, he said, "Look, Natasha, just because a kid was confused after a hurricane doesn't mean that he's being controlled by HYDRA and has water powers."

Thinking out her response, Natasha turned to the door, a tiny photo grasped tightly in her hand. "But it's normal after multiple hurricanes? I don't know about you, but I don't know all that many kids who've been caught up in natural disasters across the globe," she retorted. "That's not all, Steve. This was taken just before the first time Jackson was spotted." She turned back and held out the photo. Steve took it, instantly recognizing one of the people in it. In the photo, the light glinted off of a silver arm. "It looks like the Olympian and the Winter Soldier know each other, or they've met, at the very least."

The punching bag completely forgotten now, Steve pocketed the picture. "So, when do we leave?"

—Line Break—

San Francisco

"What is this kid?" Captain America wondered aloud, grunting in pain as he climbed out from under a pile of rubble. Water swirled through the air, threatening to slice any who dared to approach the Olympian. The kid, in question, wore what appeared to be an ancient Greek chest plate, gauntlets laced with metal, pants made of a tough midnight blue material, and a pair of black combat boots. A scabbard rested at his side, the hilt of a sword visible, and a green-blue cape hung from the armor, rippling in the sea breeze.

A dazed Black Widow stood to the side, using a building to support herself. She opened her mouth to reply, but the Olympian cut her off, pinning her to the wall. His green eyes swirled with anger, but he wasn't in control. He was more like a puppet, someone else pulling the strings. The Olympian shifted his grip, choking the air from the spy's lungs. Captain America's efforts to reach her were failing as the water formed an almost solid barrier around them.

Blackness was encroaching on Black Widow's vision when the rumble of thunder reverberated across the sky, accompanied by lightning. Finally, the light condensed into a single beam of light, depositing Thor on the street. Unflinching, the Asgardian pushed through the barrier of water, pulling the Olympian off of Black Widow and crushing him in his arms. The young man struggled, shouting furiously. Captain America sprinted to catch Black Widow, whose eyes had flickered shut.

Thor still held the Olympian, but he seemed to be having trouble. "You must retreat, for this is an enemy no mortal can handle," he insisted.

Unseen by the Avengers, two more arrivals approached, standing in the shadows of a nearby alley. "It took far too long, but we finally found him," the younger one commented, a bow slung over her shoulders. She looked to be around sixteen years old, but she hadn't aged for years.

"He looks the same," the older girl thought aloud, a mixture of despair and wonder touching her voice. She was tall, and her gray eyes matched her long blond hair. Two leather necklaces hung from her neck, each with clay beads on it. One necklace had seven or eight more beads than the other, but the most important beads were the ones that the two necklaces shared.

"You haven't exactly changed much either," the first girl replied. "Anyway, go get the seaweed brain. I have a feeling he's going to need you."

The blonde only nodded in response, stepping out of the shadows. Captain America had carried Black Widow away and had now returned, prepared to help Thor. Immediately, he noticed the girl marching confidently into the fight and moved to stop her. "Percy! Please, you need to snap out of this!" She called out, breaking into a run. At the girl's call, the Olympian faltered, as if conflicted. He continued to struggle as the girl entered his field of view, breaking free from Thor's grip. "Wake up, Seaweed Brain! It's me, Annabeth, and I cannot believe you disappeared on me a second time! Five years, looking for you! So if you don't snap out of this right now, I am going to personally kill you, bring you back from the Underworld, and then kill you all over again!"

Captain America reached Annabeth, blocking her from getting any closer. "You need to evacuate the area, miss. It's too dangerous to be here right now," he asserted.

Behind the captain, the Olympian had frozen. He was breathing hard, his eyes squinted shut as if he were in pain. Finally, he opened his eyes, a fractured look in them. "Wise girl?" he mumbled, his eyes clearing but watery.

The Olympian didn't stick around to continue the fight. Instead, he began to fade into the air around him. Before he could disappear, Annabeth lunged forward, grasping at his hand. "Percy! Don't you dare leave me now!" she ordered, but it was more of a desperate plea than anything else. The Olympian reached forward, brushing Annabeth's cheek gingerly.

"I — I remember so little, but this feels so… right," he murmured, re-solidifying. He leaned in, kissing Annabeth softly on the lips. The demigoddess pulled back a moment later, ending the kiss abruptly, her eyes locked on his. "I don't think I can stay… The people who ordered me to attack this city will want me back. I don't want to be their weapon, and I'm definitely no Olympian," Percy commented, his green eyes dark with confusion. He pulled a ballpoint pen from a pocket and uncapped it, marveling at its transformation. "Maybe I'm not an Olympian, but I know that I can be the Riptide that pulls my kidnappers out to sea."

Annabeth reached forward, linking hands with Riptide. "I'm not about to let you go that easily, Seaweed Brain. We can do this together, like we always have," she promised, reaching up to her neck with her free hand. Gently, she pulled the necklace with fewer beads over her head and lowered it over Riptide's head, letting it settle on his neck.

At that, Captain America broke in, "Sorry to interrupt, but the Olympian is going to have to come with us. We have questions that need answering."

Riptide shot Annabeth a reassuring smile before turning his attention to the Avenger. "First of all, I'm not an Olympian. You can call me Riptide or Percy. Second, I'm still here, aren't I? If I didn't want to go with you, I would be gone by now," he responded, his gaze looking far less broken than before. Percy noticed Thor reach for an unusual pair of handcuffs, obviously of Asgardian make, and held out his hands. "I'm going to make a wild guess and say that those are meant for me, probably to block my powers."

Thor nodded, snapping the cuffs into place. "Yes, Perseus, son of Jack, although I wish it were not so. A great hero like you should be given unending revels and acclaim, but SHIELD insisted on this," he replied.

"Let's get back to the Quinjet then, if we're finished here," Captain America suggested, picking his way through the rubble. "You can come along if you want, Miss—?" he added, addressing Annabeth.

"Wait, a jet?" Percy interrupted, a tinge of worry leaking into his voice. "I can't fly."

Annabeth stepped forward, her gray eyes fixed on the captain's. "It's true. Percy's kind of on the no-fly list of the universe. If he flies anywhere, he's certain to be blasted out of the sky along with anyone else on board the plane," she explained, articulating what Percy was unable to remember.

"We have one other option though," Annabeth commented, letting out a piercing whistle and turning her eyes to the sky. Percy looked up as well, only to see a black winged horse flying down from the skies above — a pegasus, Percy realized. _Boss! It's been too long! Did you bring me donuts?_ The pegasus called out, his voice reverberating in Percy's mind.

"Blackjack? Didn't I tell you not to call me your boss? And maybe next time on donuts," Percy answered, a flash of memory returning to him.

"Did I miss something or is the kid talking to a winged horse?" Captain America asked, thoroughly confused.

Percy cracked a smile but let Annabeth do the talking. "For good reason, our world has long been secret, but we can explain better where it's not so public," Annabeth promised, climbing onto Blackjack. She twisted, helping the handcuffed Percy up. "We'll fly alongside your jet."

"Sorry, but you can't do that," a new voice chimed in. A young woman joined the group, her dark brown hair cropped close to her head. She wore a SHIELD uniform, complete with pistol holstered at her hip. "I can't let Jackson out of SHIELD custody."

"I can't fly though, unless you actually _want_ to get zapped out of the sky," Percy replied, sizing up the new arrival.

"Then we'll drive, Jackson," the agent replied. "Miss Chase, you're coming along as well, I take it?"

Annabeth smiled, but her gray eyes were on the agent, calculating. "I had a feeling that SHIELD would keep a file on us," the girl commented. Then, she answered, "I'm not leaving Percy now."

A few minutes later, a troop of armored trucks had arrived, SHIELD agents swarming around the heroes. The two demigods were herded into a car in the center, and the doors locked with an audible click. The heroes climbed into the next car behind them, so the two were alone for now. Both Percy and Annabeth were silent, the only sound coming from the droning of the truck's engine. Eventually, Percy broke the silence, "Annabeth… You said that it's been five years? If that's true, then why don't you look any older?"

Annabeth stiffened noticeably. She took so long to respond that Percy almost thought she hadn't heard him. Finally, she replied, "I joined the Hunters of Artemis." Letting this sink in, Annabeth slipped into silence. She couldn't exactly go back on her decision now, for fear of Artemis's wrath. Percy, too, remained quiet, lost in thought.

—Line Break—

About two hours into the drive, Percy managed to fall asleep, but his dreams were fitful and filled with nightmares. He dreamed that he loomed over Annabeth's corpse, his blade dripping with her blood. Then, that dream flitted away like paper in the wind, only to be replaced by the next nightmare. In one dream, he was back with the scientists as they wiped his memories to program him. In another, they praised him for his work in San Francisco, warned him that his task was not complete yet.

Then, Percy awoke with a start, finding himself staring out the window at a brown landscape filled with dried out bushes and shrunken trees. Groggy, he rubbed his eyes, although the cuffs hindered the action slightly. "Maybe I should call you Sleeping Beauty instead of Seaweed Brain, Percy," Annabeth commented, chuckling as she did. "You've been out like a light for hours now. You even managed to sleep through the food stop we made. I tried to wake you up, but gods know there's no waking you up when you're tired."

Percy flashed a crooked grin at the daughter of Athena, shaking off the fog from sleep. "Sorry, Wise Girl. I guess I was just a bit tired," he responded. The demigod's stomach growled, begging for food. Annabeth smirked before pulling a greasy brown paper bag from the seat beside her. Without a word, she passed it to Percy, who took the food with a sidelong grin. Though his hands were still manacled, he wouldn't let that stop him from eating. He dug in, relishing the juiciness of the burger. Then, the burger turned bitter as Percy remembered Annabeth's confession.

The demigoddess seemed to sense the change in mood, opening her mouth to speak before closing it a moment later. Percy lowered the burger, its paper crinkling loudly in the car. "When did you do it — join the Hunters, I mean?" he asked, appetite gone.

"Four years ago."

"I see…"

"Percy, you had disappeared, with no trace and no prophecy to follow. I turned over every leaf, tapped into every resource, but we still couldn't find you. We — I — didn't think I'd ever see you again."

The two half-bloods sat in silence for a time, unsure what else to say. Once, Percy reached out to take Annabeth's hand, but he faltered and lowered his hand. He didn't feel like incurring Artemis's wrath, for Annabeth's sake and his own.

Looking out the window, Percy saw the lead cars in the convoy pulling aside. Then, the demigods' car followed, coming to a stop at a gas station beside the road. Fifteen minutes later, the convoy took to the highway again, making absurdly good time for a cross country road trip.

—Line Break—

Turning around, Percy found himself facing the gaze of seven sets of eyes. Well, technically it was six sets of eyes and one single eye, but who was counting? "So, this is the kid who managed to beat up Grandpa and Carrot Top?" one asked, amused. He stepped forward, shaking Percy's bound hands. "Well, nice job, kid. I'm sure you know who I am, but I'm Tony Stark." Annabeth let out a small noise, recognizing the man. Tony turned to her, shaking her hand as well. "A fan, I see. Good to meet you."

Before Annabeth could form a response, Tony had stepped back, joining the rest of the Avengers. Percy had never seen the other heroes, but Annabeth had filled him in on the drive back to New York. The only one the demigod didn't recognize was the angry-looking African American man with an eyepatch. Annabeth hadn't mentioned that the Avengers had a pirate on the team. "Mr. Jackson, I think it's time we had a chat," the swashbuckler insisted, neglecting to introduce himself. "Come with me."

"Whatever you say, pirate," Percy murmured. He and Annabeth followed the man into the elevator, joining the Avengers. It felt like the start of a bad joke to Percy. _Two demigods, two spies, two scientists, a god, a pirate, and an American flag walk into an elevator…_ A smile crossed Percy's face — at least, it did, until the African American shot him a scathing glare. Obviously, the man didn't take well to being called a pirate.

A bit fidgety, Percy shifted his weight. His wrists were — needless to say — sore at this point, and he could barely stand still. Annabeth seemed to sense this, warning Percy with a look not to screw things up. What felt like an eternity later, the elevator stopped and opened with a hiss. As the group stepped out, Percy and Annabeth found themselves in a large conference room. A large round table occupied the center of the room, surrounded by chairs, and a massive flat screen TV hung on one wall. Another wall was covered in windows, although the blinds were drawn.

"Hmm… This is a classy interrogation room you've got here. I admit it," Percy quipped, nodding his head.

"Come on, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth replied with a roll of her eyes, pulling Percy into a chair. She couldn't quite hide her smile. It was hard to stay mad at the son of Poseidon, she remembered clearly now.

The rest of the Avengers took their seats, until only the pirate remained standing. "Now, how about you two spill?" He asked, but it felt more like an order than a question.

"Spill what? The beans? Or the milk?" Percy asked, flashing a smile at Annabeth. Annabeth rolled her eyes but returned the smile. "Another question, should I try not to cry over the milk?"

Tony chuckled loudly, assessing the demigods. "I like this kid!" he exclaimed, lounging back in his chair at the table, a glass of alcohol in hand.

"Just what we needed, another Stark," Bruce commented with a sigh, examining the teens with a scientific eye.

Fury was fuming, steam practically coming from his ears and nose. "How about we get back to the point here, Jackson?" he asked, hiding his rage under a cool, sharp tone. "Why are you so special to HYDRA?"

—Line Break—

"Wait, so you're saying Zeus and all the other gods are trollops who go around having kids all over the place?" Tony asked, a glass of gin in his hand. It was his third since they had sat down. "I think I'm liking the sound of that."

Steve ignored the inventor, studying the two kids. They were so young, yet both carried themselves like soldiers. They were weary, war-torn, and their scars ran deep. Based on their story, Steve could see why. He sat back, content to let the others speak for now. Eventually, the conversation turned toward what to do with Percy. HYDRA was sure to want him back, and Fury, who had finally introduced himself to the two demigods, wanted to monitor the son of the sea god. The son of the sea god in question vehemently opposed the idea. Even with his powers blocked by the handcuffs, he exuded power, wild and ancient like the ocean.

Annabeth firmly grasped Percy's arm. "Percy, as much as I want you back at camp, I don't think it's wise. You disappeared from camp, without a trace. HYDRA must somehow be able to get past the borders, which means it's not safe for you there," she reasoned, forcing Percy to understand.

Grudgingly, Percy huffed stubbornly. He seemed to think it over for a moment, finally conceding, "Fine. Keep me here and observe me, or whatever you want to do. First things first though, I don't think I'm about to go on a rampage, so would you mind taking these off?" He stood, holding out his manacled hands.

"Of course, Perseus," Thor responded, stretching across the table to unlock the cuffs, which fell in a heap on the table, clattering loudly against the wood. Percy — perhaps over exaggerating a bit — stretched his wrists, arms, and shoulders, the movement transmitting smoothly as he arched his back.

"Now, _that_ is much better," Percy commented, rubbing his wrists, which were red and chafed. Then, something seemed to hit him. "Annabeth? What are you going to do? Are you going back to the Hunters?" he asked, pushing a strand of hair out of his eyes. He wanted the daughter of Athena to stay, but he also wanted her to go back to the Hunters — or even back to camp. It wasn't his call though.

Annabeth smiled thinly. She was torn as well. "Lady Artemis has stationed the Hunters at camp with Chiron. She believes we need to be prepared for a fight, and we'll have to get in contact with Camp Jupiter as well to make sure they're organized over there. Also, we can't delay in telling everyone you're back," she decided, rising from her seat. She cast a longing glance at Percy, knowing he would understand.

In response, Percy nodded, pulling Annabeth into a hug. After a moment, he murmured "I'll miss you, Wise Girl."

"It won't be that long, Seaweed Brain, and we can IM every day," came Annabeth's response. At an irritated cough from Fury, which was followed by a comment about "teenagers these days," the two broke apart, and Annabeth headed for the elevator. "Percy knows how to contact me if you need anything, so I'll be going for now," she announced, pressing the button for the lift. A moment later, she stepped in, and the doors hissed shut.

((So, this has been edited as of February 10, 2016. I hope all of you awesome readers and reviewers like the revised chapter!))


	2. Chapter 2

Not long after Annabeth's departure, the Avengers dispersed. Fury disappeared, probably to dig up some sort of dirt on Percy, Annabeth, and the camp. Thor escorted Percy to his floor — that's right, a floor. Stretching out from the elevator were a number of rooms: a massive bedroom with a king-sized bed, a bathroom with amazing water pressure, a media room with multiple video game consoles, a medium walk-in closet with some spare civilian clothes, and — finally — a room with a pool and hot tub. There was also an A.I. — whatever that was — named JARVIS who basically acted as a butler/alarm clock/search engine. Needless to say, Percy was impressed.

Before the demigod could do anything though, he stepped into the bedroom, shedding his armor and dropping it to the floor. The armor clanked loudly as it fell, but it didn't bother him. Percy let out a weary sigh, his eyes drooping, and stripped down to his boxers. He could barely make it to the bed before he collapsed, snoring contentedly. Unfortunately, that calm respite didn't last long. Slowly at first, Percy's dreams turned dark, nightmares worming their way in.

What felt like a moment later, Percy shot to a sitting position, breathing heavily. For a second, he couldn't remember where he was, but then it came back to him. HYDRA had kidnapped him and wiped his memories, but he had broken free of their control. Now, he was with the Avengers.

Only fractionally more rested, the demigod climbed out of bed, staring at the bedside clock. It was almost six, reminding Percy that he didn't remember the last time he had eaten. As if on cue, his stomach rumbled loudly. "Pipe down. I need a shower before I can go upstairs," Percy complained, stepping into the bathroom and turning the water up to full blast.

A short shower later, Percy stood, waiting for the elevator, in a pair of jeans and a soft orange t-shirt. He still wore the black combat boots, but the rest of his equipment was scattered on the floor of the closet.

Once the elevator opened, Percy stepped in, pressing the button for the kitchen. On the way up, the elevator stopped once, admitting Bruce. "So, you can turn into a giant green monster when you get angry?" Percy asked, curious.

The doctor nodded, unperturbed by the phrasing. "Yes, I can."

"Remind me not to piss you off."

"And what about you, Percy? I saw the video of you in San Francisco. I could say the same to you."

Percy grinned in understanding, leaning against the wall of the elevator. "Touché," he replied, unconsciously fingering Riptide in his pocket. After a long silence, the elevator stopped, opening onto the kitchen, where the other Avengers were already eating. All of them were spread out around the room, lounging on chairs around the kitchen bar.

"Hey, Water Boy! I hope you like pizza!" Tony called out, pulling the last slice of pepperoni pizza from the first box. Next to him was Thor, who was shoveling his first slice down.

Percy's smile broadened greatly as the smell of pizza wafted toward him, making his stomach growl again. "I think that's a yes," Clint commented, biting into his own slice of pizza.

"It's definitely a yes," came Percy's reply. Still grinning, he took a seat at the bar, snagging some pizza. While he ate, his gaze drifted to Thor's hammer, which Thor had left on the table. "So, what's up with the hammer?" He asked after a while.

At Percy's question, Thor let out a hearty chuckle, smiling widely. "Only those who are worthy can lift it. All those mortals who have tried so far have failed to do so," he explained, leaning back in his chair.

A ripple spread throughout the room. "Is that true? I think I'd like to give it a try," Clint cut in, reaching for the hammer.

"Go ahead," Thor offered, smiling smugly.

"Oh, this'll be interesting. Go ahead, Katniss. We're all waiting," Tony commented, amused. Leaning forward, he grabbed another slice of pizza. Percy was interested to see this as well. Really, how could a hammer be THAT hard to lift?

Clint grasped the handle of the hammer, grunting with exertion. However, no matter how much he struggled, the hammer didn't budge an inch. Finally, he fell back in defeat. Next up, Tony had to try. Even with his armor glove, he got the same result. Next came Bruce, with no notable difference.

The entire time, Thor wore a self-satisfied grin, amused by the efforts of the other Avengers. Now, Steve was giving it a try. At first, his efforts failed, but then Percy saw it. The hammer moved just the tiniest bit, and looking up, Percy noticed that Thor had gone ashen.

None of the others noticed the movement though, and the guys were trying to get Natasha to give it a go. However, it was to no avail, so, naturally, they turned to the next choice. "Hey, Perce, why don't you give it a try?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, come on, kid. You _are_ half god, after all," Tony added.

"Sure, I'm curious, just like the rest of you," Percy consented, reaching for the hammer. He paused for dramatic suspense, and then he gripped the handle. Pulling up with all of his strength, the demigod noticed no change in the hammer. Percy let out a mix between a grunt and a huff, pulling harder, and then he felt it — it was as if the hammer were looking through his memories, judging him. There was a mental snap, like a rubber band, and Percy found the hammer lightening and shifting under his grip. With a final heave, he found the hammer was in his hand.

"Woah, this thing's heavy," Percy commented, ignoring the shocked eyes locked on him. Thor, for his part, was silent. It seemed that it hadn't quite sunk in yet. Any trace of the amused expression was absent from his face now. Gingerly, Percy replaced the hammer on the table, realization dawning on him. "I don't think that a hammer is really my weapon of choice, so — uh — you can have this back."

At that, the room exploded into chaos around Percy. Tony and Clint were feebly attempting to console Thor, whose eyes were shifting from Percy to the hammer and then back again. Steve and Natasha, on the other hand, seemed shocked but not surprised, and Bruce was impassive, studying Percy with a detached, scientific look.

Eventually though, silence fell in the kitchen. "Anyway, fun as this was, I'm heading up to my lab," Tony said, excusing himself and heading for the elevator. The others made similar statements, all going their separate ways. Percy, too, left the kitchen, heading for his rooms.

Back on his floor, he sank into the plush couch in the media room, but he didn't recognize any of the games or consoles. He settled on watching TV, but he was too wired to sit still and do that. The pool seemed like a tantalizing solution to offload some energy, so Percy headed for the closet, rummaging through the spare clothes until he found what he was looking for: a pair of black swimming trunks.

Diving into the pool, a wave of calm floated over the demigod. Slowly, he sunk to the bottom of the pool, breathing easily. He found that he could keep himself dry if he wanted to, but the water was revitalizing and calming. For some time, Percy remained there, thinking about everything and nothing. At some point, he was alerted to another presence outside the pool, pulling him from his thoughts.

Breaking the surface of the water, Percy found Steve at the edge of the pool. "That's quite the circus trick there," the captain commented, hands in the pockets of his jacket.

Percy smirked, clambering out of the pool. With a thought, Percy was bone dry, the water returned to the pool. "Yeah, there are perks to being the son of Poseidon," he replied.

"You never mentioned how much you remember of the time HYDRA had you. Annabeth did all of the talking earlier, leading up to when you disappeared, but that leaves a blank of five years," Steve cut to the chase, brushing off his surprise at Percy drying off.

The smirk disappeared from Percy's face. He didn't seem like he was going to reply at first, but finally, he said, "I don't remember much… It's all pretty hazy. The scientists were trying to amplify my powers — to make me a better weapon, I guess. They had this spear that they thought could make me even stronger. They were right. It did make me stronger, but they lost control of me. I ended up causing a hurricane, and I almost got away in the process. It gets fuzzy after that, but I think HYDRA sent a soldier after me. He had a metal arm… I think they called him the Night Soldier or something. Wait, that's not right… maybe it was the Winter Soldier. Yeah, that sounds more like it."

Percy stopped, noticing recognition flare in Steve's expression. "Did you know him?" He asked the soldier, who nodded in response, motioning for Percy to continue.

The demigod's sea green eyes met the captain's blue ones for a moment, understanding crossing Percy's face. "He means a lot to you, I see. I'm sorry I can't tell you more, but as far as I remember — which isn't much — we only met the one time," Percy explained. "Anyway, the spear was kept in the same place I was, and that was definitely some powerful mojo. I wouldn't touch it again with a ten foot pole, that's for sure, but I don't think it's a good thing that HYDRA still has it."

"Do you think you could describe the spear?" Steve asked, the spear ringing a bell in his memories.

Percy nodded in response, jogging into his bedroom. A moment later, he returned, a pad of paper and pencil in hand. "May as well make _some_ use of what I remember. I also remember the coordinates, courtesy of my abilities," he remarked, scribbling softly on the page. He erased a number of times until he leaned back, content with his work.

Steve curiously leaned forward, a pit of recognition growing in his stomach. "Thank you, Percy. This will definitely help," he acknowledged, nodding his head with gratitude.

"Sure, it's the least I could do, considering I tossed you through a wall back in San Francisco," Percy responded, barely able to contain an amused smirk. "I hope you find your friend," he added after a moment, flashing a sympathetic smile.

"Thanks," came Steve's reply. The drawing and coordinates in hand, the super soldier turned to the elevator. Before the doors opened, he finished, "Well, I'll leave you to it then. JARVIS will wake you up in the morning for breakfast, but if you wake up before that, feel free to head up to the kitchen."

As the captain stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for his floor, a wave of fatigue washed over Percy, reminding him that his earlier sleep could hardly be called restful. Still in his trunks, he stumbled to his unmade bed and collapsed, already asleep.

A number of hours later, the demigod woke with a start. The fog of sleep still slowed his thoughts, but he was certain that something was amiss. Silently, Percy slipped his hand into his pocket, withdrawing Riptide. Belatedly, he realized that the celestial bronze sword wouldn't do a thing to an enemy who was mortal, but it would have to do. Finally prepared, Percy called out, "I know you're there! Show yourself!"

Subconsciously, Percy had expected one of the Avengers to appear, ready to prank him or something. Thus, shock ran through the son of Poseidon when a red-skinned man with a face like a skull stepped out of the shadows. "Very perceptive, Perseus. You truly live up to the stories," he greeted, hands folded behind his back. The man wore all black clothes, made of a sturdy material, and his belt buckle had a strange symbol of an octopus with the head of a skull on it.

"And who are you? Voldemort?" Percy asked, studying the man cautiously.

The man didn't seem to get the reference, so he ignored it, continuing, "Perseus, Perseus, Perseus… You may call me Johann Shmidt, or if you like it more, the Red Skull. You could say that I am a high-up member of HYDRA, but that is of no concern to you." The Red Skull strode forward and grasped Percy by the neck, lifting him up against the wall. Struggling, Percy fought to free himself, even going so far as to draw Riptide, but it was to no avail. "Now, Perseus… That is no way to treat your commanding officer."

At the comment, Percy went limp, the light dimming from his eyes. "What have you done? Why can't I move?" He managed to get out, confusion coloring his voice.

"Interesting. You have quite the willpower, Perseus. To answer your question, it is one of a set of trigger words that you have been conditioned to. On that note, it is time for you to cool down, son of the sea," the Red Skull insisted, choosing his words carefully.

Blackness encroached on Percy's vision, and the dark hold of sleep latched onto him, pulling him into unconsciousness. "Schist," he mumbled, sliding down the wall into a heap. As if the demigod were a sack of potatoes, Shmidt lifted him over his shoulder and disappeared into the busy streets of the city.((A/N Wow! I did not expect the response I've gotten for this story so far! It's already outstripping my other two stories by leaps and bounds! So, as a thank you for reading, reviewing, and following/favoriting, I'm posting this chapter two days early! With that, I hope this chapter is just as good as the last and that you awesome people continue to read the chapters to come! Kkoko88))


	3. Chapter 3

((A/N Since it's almost Sunday where I live, here's the new chapter a bit early! Before I begin, I'd like to reply to a few guest reviews, as I can't reply to them privately. Nebula: Red Skull _is_ alive, and this next chapter explains it, if I remember correctly (if it's not in this chapter, I know it's coming up in the story). Guest: You do have some fair points (pertaining to perhaps rushing a few moments), but Annabeth wasn't about to join in on the fight. She knows who the Avengers are, as well as what they do (considering they're famous), and she just wants to find her always-cursed-to-be-kidnapped boyfriend. With that, let the chapter begin.))

"JARVIS, could you try waking Percy up again?" Steve asked for the third time. All of the Avengers were gathered in the kitchen, where they had been discussing what to do about the scepter. The others wanted to hear Percy's story from the source, but JARVIS didn't seem able to get any response from the demigod.

"Sir, it seems that Percy Jackson has disappeared sometime during the night," JARVIS's voice responded.

Steve rose to his feet at this, heading for the elevator. "He wouldn't have just left. I'll go check his room," he decided, stepping into the lift.

"I'll come with you, Steve. Maybe I can pick up a trace of him," Natasha offered, joining him. Then, the pair disappeared, the air heavy with anticipation.

The rest of the Avengers remained in the kitchen, but Tony had pulled up surveillance footage of Percy's room on the TV screen. "They can do all the snooping they want up there, but we have something even better…" he commented, a sly smirk on his face.

Bruce seemed to expect this, letting out an exasperated sigh. Finally, he asked, "Really, Tony?"

"Am I right to assume that there are cameras in all of our rooms?" Clint asked, but he could see the answer on Tony's mischievous face. Thor seemed mildly disturbed by the idea of the cameras, but he was too engrossed in his poptarts to say anything. After a moment, Clint added, "Never mind, but we're definitely going to have a talk about this, Tony."

"Oh, come on. How will I get any entertainment around this place if we take out the cameras? And, if we take them out, then in situations like this, we won't have anywhere to start!" Tony replied, scrubbing through the video of last night. He almost passed what he was looking for, but he stopped when he noticed the video-Percy climb out of bed silently.

The demigod in the footage was on edge, creeping forward. He pulled a pen out of his pocket, as if for reassurance, before calling out. Unfortunately, there didn't seem to be any audio to the video. His mind working furiously, Tony paused the video, working to restore the audio. "JARVIS, where's the audio from Percy's room at 2:12 a.m. this morning?" He inquired, checking the time stamp on the video when he failed to find said audio.

"I apologize, sir, but there was a malfunction in my systems this morning. I was only able to recover the video itself," the AI responded.

Tony let out a disgruntled huff. "Fine, the video will just have to do for now," he insisted, letting the video play out with the press of a button.

In the video, a man stepped forward, engaging in conversation with Percy. His skin bright red against his bony face, he shot forward and caught Percy by the neck, pinning the demigod to the wall. A moment later, and Percy went limp, sliding to the ground as the Red Skull released him. The kidnapper turned to the camera briefly, almost seeming to gloat. Then he turned and lifted the unconscious Percy, pulling him over his shoulder and stepped out of view of the camera.

Sobered, Tony leaned back, recognizing the kidnapper from stories his father had told him. How had the Red Skull survived?

Beside him, Clint asked JARVIS to send Steve and Natasha back down. The AI obliged, while Tony played the video one more time, trying to find any key moments in the confrontation. In what felt like a second later, the elevator doors had opened.

"There were definitely signs of a struggle up there," Natasha informed, curious to what Tony had discovered. "What did you find?"

Neglecting to reply, Tony pressed a button, letting the video speak for itself. Silently, the captain and the spy watched. At first, disbelief registered in Steve's eyes, then it shifted to confusion and anger.

"I'm sorry, Capsicle, but it looks like the Red Skull's back," Tony commented, his normally joking voice growing almost solemn. "There is, however, a silver lining."

"What did you do _this time_?" Bruce asked, studying the image of the Red Skull in the video. There was something about that moment — the one where Percy went limp — that bothered him, but he didn't know what. One moment, Percy was putting up a fight, then the next, he was barely moving. The Red Skull hadn't choked the demigod long enough to knock him out, so what _had_ knocked him out? A sedative? Or was it something else entirely?

Thor broke in then, two poptart wrappers lying flatly in front of him. "Yes, what _did_ you do, Man of Iron?" He asked, growing suspicious. He shuddered at the memory of when Stark said that the last time. Let's just say that it wasn't a pretty sight, and Thor's long, luscious hair was quite crispy and charbroiled afterward.

As a reply, Tony chuckled, remembering the incident in a very different light. "Don't worry, Sparky. I promise this isn't like last time," he remarked, smirking impishly. "I managed to get a tracer on the kid. I didn't think we'd need to use it, but it looks like it's going to come in handy, especially now that we know that the kid isn't exactly out on the town."

"What are we waiting for then?" Steve asked, returning to the elevator. "Be ready to go in fifteen minutes. Stark, get that location." With that, the Avengers snapped into action.

Bright light shone down upon Percy, pulling him harshly from his dreamless sleep. Voices whispered around him, too indistinct to make out, and he almost drifted back into unconsciousness. Almost being the operative word, the demigod pried his eyes open, blinking against the bright lights. His throat was dry, and his powers felt out of reach.

Growing more aware, Percy realized that he was strapped down in some sort of machine/capsule hybrid. His chest was bare, and a set of needles was primed to stab into him, releasing the liquid from a set of vials. While Percy had never been afraid of needles, he didn't exactly feel like having a dozen very large ones injecting gods knew what into him…

Gingerly, Percy tested his bonds but found that he couldn't move an inch. Breaking out didn't seem to be an option at this point, he acknowledged sullenly, not even to mention that he was apparently hardwired to obey a set of commands.

"Ah, it seems the demigod has awoken," commented a familiar voice, breaking Percy out of his thoughts. "I do apologize for earlier, Perseus, but when you did not report to us on time, it became clear that you required more conditioning. You are quite strong willed, but that is to be expected," the voice continued, its owner stepping into view. It was the Red Skull, his red skin reflecting the overhead light into Percy's eyes.

"Hey, Baldy!" Percy insulted, venom thick in his voice. "I'll never help you, not when I have Annabeth waiting for me. It doesn't matter what you do to me. It won't work," he added, his gaze drifting to the needles and capsule.

Letting out a hearty chuckle, the Red Skull replied, "Silly American half-blood, this little operation has nothing to do with reinforcing the conditioning. After, we will reinforce the programming. In any case, I believe you will be too preoccupied to worry about our plans for you."

A pit of apprehension was opening in Percy's stomach, but he ignored it for the moment. Locking eyes with the Red Skull, he responded with a question, "And why is that?"

Shmidt seemed to consider the question, entertaining the option of answering his prisoner. Eventually, he answered, "Science has advanced in leaps and bounds during the time I was asleep. It is extraordinary what can be done with even one drop of blood, with the code written into that one drop. However, perhaps I should begin with what this procedure is. I have fabricated a version of the serum used to create Captain America and myself, but this serum has been — what is the word — tailored specifically to you, Perseus. It will act not on your human DNA but on your godly DNA."

Most of the scientific lingo flew right over Percy's head, triggering half-remembered memories of science classes at the many schools he had gone to over the years, but the gist was clear. Percy had seen firsthand both Steve's inhuman strengths and the Red Skull's, and now he was going to have the same happen with his powers, which were already plenty powerful.

"Yeah, I think I'll skip the physical, Doc. As fun as this is, I think I can live without getting a shot like this," the demigod quipped, hoping that _someone_ had noticed that he was missing by now. If he could just buy enough time… "Anyway, what did you mean when you mentioned how science has come so far during the time you were asleep?"

The question seemed to bring forth negative memories for the Red Skull, but he answered the question, "In a clash with Captain America over the Tesseract, I died and, as a result, was sent to the Fields of Punishment. Then, the Doors of Death were opened, giving me just the opportunity I required."

Done with the conversation, the Red Skull turned to the HYDRA scientists and technicians, commanding, "Let us wait no longer! Begin the procedure!" From that point on, Percy's protests and attempts to stall fell on deaf ears, failing miserably. Under the Red Skull's piercing gaze, the scientists set the process in motion.

Percy let out a huff as the needles made contact, sinking into his arms and chest. Warily, he watched the serum drain into him. The serum was liquid fire in his veins, burning through him without mercy. The demigod didn't notice it, but the capsule began to move, raising him into a vertical position and closing him off from the scientists.

The technicians paused momentarily, making last minute checks on the instruments. After some time, the Red Skull motioned for them to continue, his eyes fixed on the capsule. He had left a number of details out earlier, but the boy wouldn't remember anything of this time anyway.

Percy, for his part, didn't care either way for the present. The sensation of fire, while strangely familiar, was overwhelming his senses. It was all the demigod could do to not scream himself hoarse. As a bright light enveloped him, the burning intensified exponentially until it seemed as though he were standing at the center of the Sun. Finally, Percy couldn't hold in his screams.

Then, something snapped within the son of Poseidon. He felt almost detached, and the fire had receded into the distance. Most importantly, the memories were flooding back like a tidal wave, rushing in until the half-blood could remember everything. Vaguely, Percy sensed a rumbling all around him, ripping through the laboratory until the capsule cracked wide open. The scientists had scattered, but the Red Skull remained, desperate to keep hold of his prize.

Percy's restraints snapped with ease now, and he stepped to the floor, the ground shaking with each footfall. Belatedly, the Red Skull's face filled with unchecked terror. He had made a grave mistake. "Cool down, son of Poseidon!" he insisted, frenziedly struggling to assert control with the key conditioning phrase. It had no effect.

The demigod advanced on the leader of HYDRA, his green eyes shifting from shade to shade chaotically. In a last ditch attempt to escape death, the Red Skull raised a hidden dagger against Percy, slashing at him. The half-blood held up a hand, catching the blade with ease. He tossed it aside, nicking himself in the process. With detached curiosity, Percy inspected the cut, finding that instead of pure red mortal blood, his was a mix of human blood and golden ichor — that which came of being a god.

Returning his attention to the Red Skull, Percy knocked the man to the ground with a simple swipe of his hand. There was an audible crack when Shmidt's head met with the floor, and the man moved no more. "You meddled in affairs that no mortal should involve himself in, Shmidt, and in doing so, you've broken the dam," Percy proclaimed, pulling Riptide from his pocket. Slowly, he uncapped it, letting it reach full length. Normally, the blade would phase through a mortal, leaving him or her unharmed, but Shmidt was no normal case.

As Percy lifted the sword in a killing arc, a hand caught his arm in a firm grip. He whipped around, only to find himself face to face with Captain America. "Why do you mortals keep interfering?" the demigod hissed in frustration.

"Because this isn't you, Percy. You wouldn't kill a defenseless man who can't even stand up," Captain America countered, working to get through to the son of Poseidon. The rumbling lessened at this before starting anew with even more intensity. "Think about Annabeth! What would she think if she saw you doing this?" Now, the shaking stopped altogether, and Percy collapsed to his hands and knees, Riptide clattering on the stone.

Behind Captain America, the other Avengers — minus the Hulk — approached with caution. All were covered in scratches from fighting down to this level of the facility, and dust coated them like snow, caused by the quaking.

Percy's mixed blood pooled on the floor around his hand, catching Iron Man's attention. "What's up with the gold blood?" He commented, already intent on studying it. Percy breathed hard, remaining silent.

Stepping in for Percy, Thor responded, "The gods carry golden ichor in their veins, as the blood of mortals cannot contain their power and immortality. Under normal circumstances, the godly blood running through a demigod would not be enough to see, not even under one of your microscopes. This mix of mortal and godly blood is highly abnormal, unique even."

Hawkeye and Black Widow both caught the sounds of frenzied footsteps coming in the group's direction and they locked eyes for a moment, a conversation passing between them. "Hey, we can talk about how special the kid is later. Right now, we need to get him out of here," Hawkeye interjected, his bow at the ready.

The footsteps were growing louder now, and Percy was still unresponsive. Seeing no other option, Captain America pulled the demigod into a fireman's carry, finding no resistance. He cast a longing glance at Shmidt's prone form before heading into the corridors of the underground HYDRA facility. The other Avengers eliminated any resistance they met on the way, and then they had made it. Steve thankfully breathed in the early summer air of a field outside the city, racing for the Quinjet with the others.

Percy woke to the sensation of soft sheets brushing his skin, dim light filtering in from a shuttered window, and a slight smell of antiseptic hanging in the air. Something felt off though, and he searched a moment for the answer. It came to him after a bit of searching, and it explained everything.

Letting out a groan, he opened his eyes, only to shut them again. "Ugh, my everywhere hurts…" Percy complained, wincing as he reopened his eyes and pulled himself into a sitting position.

"Well, sleeping beauty, I would think so, considering you've just had your entire genetic code rewritten," came Tony's voice from Percy's right. More awake now, Percy took a look around the room, which seemed to be a combination between a medical bay and a laboratory. There were two beds (one of which Percy was sitting in), a wall of cabinets filled with scientific and medical instruments, a counter (where Tony stood, staring intently into a microscope), and some plastic chairs. The doors to the elevator stood across the room, reminding Percy that he must be back in the tower.

"Oh, yeah, I completely forgot about that," Percy replied, clambering to his feet. His muscles complained loudly, and he staggered as he joined Tony.

Tony spared a momentary glance at Percy before returning to the microscope. "Incredible!" He exclaimed a few minutes later, startling Percy. Tony leaned back from the microscope, amazed by whatever he had found. "You really are quite the golden boy — in a literal sense, of course. I'm going to need more DNA samples. Would you mind?"

Percy shook his head, holding out his arm in offering. Like a kid at Christmas, Tony reached into a cabinet, pulling out a sterile syringe. "I won't need much, just enough to amplify the DNA using the PCR, after which I can use gel electrophoresis to…" Tony continued on for a few minutes, but Percy had tuned out the technical speech.

The demigod felt distinctly different than he had the night before. Everything felt further away, as if none of it could quite reach him or touch him. He remembered everything, from his first quest to the Second Giant War to meeting a couple of magicians named Carter and Sadie. He also remembered the dark times — when HYDRA kept him prisoner for five years, conditioning him to obey commands. It was all Percy could think about when he attacked the Red Skull, and the mention Annabeth had barely been enough to snap him out of it.

Ignoring the pain, both physical and mental, Percy stepped into the elevator, leaving Tony to his experiments. He couldn't stay here. The Avengers had the coordinates to find the scepter now, so it wasn't like they needed him. He jotted down a quick note before disappearing into the closet. When he reappeared, he was wearing the armor that he had arrived in. It was good quality, so Percy figured he may as well wear it. He did, however, think that the cape was a bit overkill.

Percy put away his thoughts on the armor, strapping the steel sword in its scabbard to his belt. With that, he dissolved into the air, gone from the tower.

Camp stretched out in front of Percy, larger than the last time he had seen it but still the same place that had been a second home to him. The campers were congregating for dinner by this time, but Percy wasn't quite ready to join them yet. Letting out a breath, he sat beside Thalia's pine, ignoring Peleus, who let out a warning puff of smoke at Percy's arrival.

After several minutes, Percy rose to his feet, prepared to face returning to camp. Before he knew it, he was stepping onto the dining pavilion. His arrival was met by several outbursts of recognition.

"Percy! What are you doing here?" Annabeth asked, surprised but pleased to see her boyfriend.

"Yeah, man! I heard you were hanging out with the Avengers! That's so cool! What's Tony Stark like?" Leo asked, his voice deeper than Percy remembered. The hyperactive kid Percy remembered was now a hyperactive adult, and Leo wasn't the only one who had changed. Among the new faces were many old faces that Percy recognized, although they had grown and transformed in the five years that had passed.

Before Percy knew it, he was pulled into joyful embraces and pats on the back. After several minutes, the scores of old friends returned to their tables until only Annabeth remained, leaving a certain centaur to greet the demigod. "Percy, you have returned. Annabeth made it seem that you would be staying with the Avengers for the time being," Chiron warmly addressed, his hooves clopping as he put a hand onto Percy's shoulder.

Percy tensed slightly before flashing a crooked smile at the centaur. "I was actually hoping to talk to you about that, Chiron, but it can wait for now," he replied, his stomach growling loudly. "It's good to see you, Chiron. It's been too long."

"That is has, my boy. Why don't we talk after dinner? You look hungry," Chiron responded, gesturing to his student's stomach, which growled again.

Percy nodded as Chiron turned, returning to his meal. "Seaweed Brain, what are you doing here? HYDRA could get to you," Annabeth questioned, taking Percy's hand into her own.

"Hey, Wise Girl, I'll explain everything to you after dinner in the Big House with Chiron. Okay?" Percy replied, pecking Annabeth on the cheek.

Annabeth smiled, her gray eyes bright. Slowly, she pulled away, glancing at the Athena table. "Fine, Percy, but you'd better explain everything," the demigoddess insisted, joining the other children of Athena at their table.

Staring after Annabeth for a moment, Percy turned to get some dinner. Once he did, he stopped by the brazier, burning a sacrifice for the gods. It was strange, but the smell of burning food smelled better than usual that night. Brushing it off, Percy turned to the Poseidon table, which was as empty as always.

While Percy was alone at his table, he chatted with many of his old friends as they finished eating and left the dining pavilion. Every time a newer camper passed though, he or she acted strangely, as if afraid or awed or something. Finally, Percy pulled Leo aside and asked, "What's up with the younger campers?"

Leo seemed confused for a moment, and then it came to him. "Oh, dude. The new campers have all heard stories the super-sized Mcshizzle and his amazing friends!" He said, his expression serious until Percy gave him a knowing look. "Okay, man, so maybe it's not quite like that, but they _have_ heard all about you and everything you've done, along with everything we did in the second Great Prophecy. On top of that, you're back, making you a bit of a living legend now."

"Ah, I think I get it now. Thanks, Leo," Percy replied, imagining if he were in the same situation as the younger campers.

"Sure, Perce. I'll see you later," Leo acknowledged, walking off toward his cabin.

A few minutes later, and Percy had finished his food. Chiron had left the pavilion several minutes earlier, and Annabeth was just leaving for the Big House. Grinning, Percy joined her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He leaned over, kissing Annabeth softly on the lips. "Annabeth…"

Annabeth kissed him back, her gray eyes warm. "Percy, what is it?" she asked, letting out a laugh as Percy kissed her again.

"Well, Wise Girl, I remember everything now, and I want to actually be with my girlfriend for the first time in five years…" came Percy's reply, which was accompanied by a gentle caress. A surprised smile spread on Annabeth's face. Then, it shifted to something else. Percy ducked in surprise as Annabeth's fist came flying at his face. "W-what was that for?"

" _That_ was for not telling me when you got here," Annabeth answered angrily, crossing her arms. "Gods, you are such a seaweed brain sometimes…"

"Annabeth… I'm sorry, but I was going to explain when I had a better chance — as in, at the Big House with Chiron," Percy stammered, trying to calm his girlfriend's wrath. Gods were girls confusing…

At the mention of Chiron, Annabeth calmed marginally, letting out a breath. "Well, Chiron's waiting for us, Seaweed Brain. Let's go," she responded, walking briskly toward the Big House. Chastised, Percy jogged to catch up, finally reaching his girlfriend when she reached the Big House.


	4. Chapter 4

Chiron awaited the pair inside, a package of Snausages in hand. He tossed one to Seymour before putting the bag aside. The mounted head licked his chops happily as Percy and Annabeth entered.

"Chiron, we're here," Annabeth said, making their presence known.

"Wonderful. Now, Percy, would you care to explain what's happened?" asked the centaur.

Percy was unsure where to start, but he was certain that Annabeth had at least explained the basic situation to Chiron. "Well, last night, HYDRA came after me again and recaptured me. I was programmed to obey certain commands, none of which I could remember once I was placed in the field. One of these commands was to infiltrate the Avengers and make regular reports on their actions, but seeing Annabeth snapped me out of it. When I didn't report in, HYDRA brought me back in to reset the programming," Percy paused in his explanation, letting everything sink in. Letting out a breath, he continued, "That wasn't all they did though… It might be easier to just show you." At that, Percy pulled out Riptide, uncapping it. As the bronze blade extended to full length, he sliced it across his palm, ignoring the pain as red-gold blood welled up.

Chiron's hooves clopped softly as he stepped forward, examining the blood. "This is impossible…" He murmured softly. "It's not just your blood that's changed, is it, Percy?"

Percy met Chiron's eyes, shaking his head. "It's not. HYDRA injected me with some sort of modified super soldier serum, and since then, my powers have gone through the roof. On top of that, I've felt… disconnected from everything," he explained, still trying to understand it himself.

Now, Annabeth let out a surprised breath. "Wait, did you say a super soldier serum?" she asked. The cogs were turning in her mind, making connections. "That's not a good thing if it's what I'm thinking of. That serum is extremely powerful. Many have tried to recreate it, but to no avail. From what I've read, it enhances the natural abilities of the one who's injected tenfold, but it also amplifies his or her personality traits. If that serum was modified to augment a demigod's powers, then it could do the same to his or her godly traits…"

Chiron seemed to be reaching the same conclusion. "Yes, it would make Percy think and act more like a god, with abilities almost as strong. Percy, let me see your hand again," He said, examining Percy's hand as he offered it. "Just as I thought… It's already healing." The centaur was right. The cut was already closing, but Percy only felt mild shock at seeing the rapid healing.

"Will I age normally?" Percy asked, glancing at Annabeth, who returned his gaze.

"I do not know, Percy, as what's happened to you is unheard of. We will need to contact Olympus though. Perhaps the gods will be able to shed more light on the situation, and they need to be alerted, at the very least," Chiron responded. "For now, why don't you get some rest? Your body has been through a major shock, and based on your story, you haven't given it any time to recover."

Chiron was right on both counts, Percy realized. While he had felt sore earlier, he could barely support himself now… The vapor travel must have taken more of a toll on him than he had expected… "I think that might be a good idea, Chiron. Just… let me know once you've heard something," the son of Poseidon acknowledged, his head growing heavier by the second.

"I'll walk you back, Percy," Annabeth commented, her keen eyes taking in her boyfriend's state of fatigue. Then, she grasped Percy's hand to lead the way, the door swinging shut behind them. Together, the two slowly made their way to the cabins, Annabeth half-supporting Percy's weight.

Too soon, the Poseidon cabin loomed over Percy and Annabeth, and the pair had to part ways. "I'll see you tomorrow, Wise Girl. No matter what happens with me, I won't let it change anything. I promise that," Percy insisted, leaning heavily on the door, which creaked slightly as he opened it.

Annabeth nodded before leaning in to give her boyfriend a peck on the cheek. "I'll hold you to that, Seaweed Brain," she asserted, letting out a mischievous grin before turning to her own cabin.

Percy smiled after her for a few moments before he turned and stepped inside. Everything was just as he remembered it, so much so that he almost thought no one had entered since his disappearance. He would have believed it, but there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere in the cabin. Someone had to have been in to at least dust during the last five years.

The demigod was barely able to pull his armor off before he collapsed into his bunk, pulled into the realm of sleep. Unfortunately, Percy didn't get the dreamless sleep he had hoped for. Instead, he found himself standing in the hall of the gods, where he had brought Zeus's Master Bolt on his first quest. Percy wasn't alone though; the twelve major gods sat on their thrones, their voices booming throughout the cavernous hall.

"The mortals pose a threat now, one we must take measures against!" Athena insisted, glaring at a certain god of the sea.

Poseidon, returning the glare, argued back, "No, this is not the answer! The issue is with a single group of mortals, not with all of them!"

At that comment, the entire council erupted into pandemonium. Percy covered his ears as resounding voice boomed through the chamber, silencing the voices. It was Zeus, king of the gods. "The mortals are a simple conflict in the long run, one that a quest could resolve. The boy, however, is a different matter. Apollo, what have you found?" He inquired, turning to the god of medicine.

Apollo rose to his feet, composing himself. "I will have to study Perseus in person to gain more insight, but I've learned that the serum was a variation on an earlier super soldier serum from World War II. It was originally synthesized by one of my children during that time, but it's never been replicated… until now, that is. Without examining Perseus, I cannot say much more, but I have reason to believe that the result is irreversible," the god of medicine detailed, his gaze sliding over the other gods. Finally, he returned to his throne, deep in thought.

"Therein lies the most pressing issue… Perseus is far beyond that of even the most powerful demigods ever to walk the Earth now. Already, his power is drawing more and more monsters to the borders of Camp Half-Blood," Zeus stated, locked in a staring contest with his brother, Poseidon.

"I won't let you destroy my son, Zeus," Poseidon almost growled. His eyes flickered with power, almost seeming to stop on Percy, before they focused on the ruler of the gods. "There _is_ another option though…"

Percy awoke with a start as he crashed to the ground, breathing hard. "Schist… Demigod dreams suck…" he complained, climbing to his feet. He blinked as a familiar presence filled the cabin. "This is only _slightly_ better than the last wake-up call I got. I hope you know that. Anyway, you're taking me somewhere, aren't you?" He asked, turning to find his father waiting silently, trident in hand.

"My hands are tied, Percy. It's this or go to the Underworld, and that would be a one-way trip," the god replied, taking a deep breath.

Percy, too, took a breath. "Can I ask where it is that I'm taking an extended vacation?" He asked, smirking slightly.

"Why don't I show you, Percy?" Poseidon asked, putting his hand on Percy's shoulder. Before the half-blood knew it, they were standing in the floating city of Olympus. Annabeth's work redesigning it had really paid off, Percy decided, noticing touches of the demigoddess all over — in the buildings, in the gardens with fountains, and in the columns and arches lining the streets. "This isn't our final destination, but I thought you might want to see this."

Percy's sea green eyes drank in the city in all its splendor before returning his gaze to his father. "My Wise Girl really did do a great job…" He murmured, letting out a slight smile. Then, something occurred to him. "Does she know I'm here?"

"She knows, although she _was not_ pleased about it," Poseidon replied, putting his hand back onto Percy's shoulder. This time, Percy was prepared for the jump, finding himself in a doctor's examination room this time. "Percy, certain matters require my attention for now, but I will return. Apollo should be here any moment now," the god of the sea explained, disappearing a moment later.

Percy took a seat on the tall padded bench, the paper on it crinkling as he did. Waiting for Apollo, there was nothing to do but fidget and think. The demigod shifted until he was lying down on the bench, his head resting on his hands. While he waited, he found that his ADHD didn't seem nearly as severe as normal, leaving thinking as his only option to kill time. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that his conversation with his father was the longest they had ever had before.

The son of Poseidon was broken out of his thoughts by the door of the exam room sliding open on rollers. With a start, Percy shot into a sitting position, staring at the new arrival. "Percy! It's been quite some time since I last saw you! I've been meaning to let you drive, but maybe later," Apollo commented, letting the door shut behind him. "I wrote a haiku about you! Would you like to hear it?" Before Percy could say no, Apollo had already started reciting, "Son of Poseidon. Always cursed to be kidnapped. It's terrible."

"That last line only has four syllables…" Percy murmured quietly, remembering the last haiku he had heard from Apollo, but the god of poetry easily heard him.

"It may need some work. How does 'It's so terrible' sound? Never mind, you don't need to answer that," Apollo commented, looking pleased with himself. "Anyway, why don't we get down to business? Give me your hand, Percy."

Percy did as asked, holding out his hand, which Apollo took. The god instantly began to examine it. One minute passed, then a second, and finally Apollo looked up, taking in the owner of the hand he found so fascinating. "You've been feeling and acting differently since it happened, right?" He asked, checking his facts.

In response, Percy nodded, and he admitted, "Yeah. I almost killed the mortal who did this to me. I felt so above everything, as if nothing could touch me. I didn't feel like myself."

Apollo's expression remained impassive, showing no sign of surprise. "I thought so… That feeling should subside once you adjust more to the changes you've undergone, although it won't ever go away completely," he explained. Seeing Percy's confused look, he continued, "When I asked for your hand, I wasn't just staring at it for no reason. I was able to get a look at how your systems are functioning through that touch."

Percy thought before asking, "Did you find anything else?"

"I did, Percy, and you won't like it," Apollo replied, holding back briefly. "You may not be immortal, but you definitely aren't aging at the same rate as an average mortal. At best, you'll age one year for every five a mortal would." The god let that sink in, watching as the emotions played across Percy's face.

"That means…" Percy whispered, thoughts of Annabeth floating to mind. How could he be with her when he couldn't age normally? His relationship was one more thing he could thank HYDRA for screwing up.

Apollo didn't seem eager to share his next point, but he continued, "Until you adjust to everything that's changed, you'll have to remain here on Olympus, Percy."

Two Years Later

Today was the day. Percy stood tall, his armor gleaming. He still wasn't a fan of the cape, but that didn't deter him from the excitement blooming within him. On a few occasions, he had been able to see his mom and Annabeth, but only briefly. Today, though, he would finally get to come back down to Earth — literally, of course, not in the figurative sense.

"It's time, Percy," his father commented, locking eyes with him.

"I've been waiting so long for this… It's kind of weird — actually — to think that I'm ready, after all this time," Percy replied. The sea never liked to be contained, and being stuck on Olympus for two years made this freedom all the sweeter.

Percy's gaze drifted to the elevator doors of the Empire State Building, which stood open, waiting for him. "I think it's time I get going, Dad," he remarked, stepping into the waiting elevator. It took him back to the Avengers' tower, where he had had his own floor. After Percy's move to Olympus, all of Olympus went in an uproar over the Ultron event, but the half-blood had known that the Avengers would be perfectly fine in the end.

Percy snapped out of his memories as his father nodded wordlessly in goodbye. Then, he pressed the button for the first floor, and the doors slid shut, cutting him off from Olympus. "Well, I'll definitely miss Hephaestus TV… but it's good to be going home," he said, fingering the clay beads on his camp necklace.

Before he could go to camp, Percy needed to make a few stops in the city. The Mist was wrapped around him, disguising his armor from regular mortals, and any clear-sighted mortals would probably think he was going to a convention or something.

First stop on his list was his mom's apartment. Regrettably, he never made it there. Percy was ten blocks away when a scream caught his attention from far above him. Craning his neck, the demigod's eyes landed on a terrified woman dangling from a fifteenth floor window, shrieking at the top of her lungs. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, but as the woman's hands slipped, Percy leaped into action. In an instant, he condensed the water below the woman, forming a watery crash pad to slow her descent. Then, time sped up, and the woman crashed into the water, safe. Percy released his hold on the water, and it dispersed into the air.

The young woman shakily got to her feet, teetering as she did. She was soaked, but she was alive. "H-how did…" she managed to get out before trailing off in shock. Before the woman could ask further questions, Percy turned to head for his mom's apartment but was stopped by a crowd of bystanders. He wasn't exactly worried about what the crowd had seen, considering the Mist would cover up the truth.

However, Percy wasn't expecting the mortals around him to see through the Mist. Before he knew it, he was being thronged by a mob of normal citizens. Cries rang out through the air, desperately questioning who he was. "Are you an alien?" came out at one point, but Percy ignored it, trying to push his way out of the horde.

An especially bold woman — a reporter — shoved a microphone into Percy's face, asking, "How did you control the water like that? And what can the world call you?" A young man stood to the side, hefting a camera over his shoulder.

Frantically, Percy weighed his options. He couldn't vapor travel away if the Mist wasn't working right, but staying here wasn't the best idea either… "Miss, I'm sorry, but I really can't talk about this," he stammered, pushing the microphone out of his face and clearing a path through the mob.

Unfortunately, the reporter was stubborn. "Sir! Just a word, please!" She called out, grasping at Percy's gauntleted wrist. "Even a name would be better than nothing."

Percy let out an angry breath, coming up with an answer that wasn't too damaging. "Riptide," he answered curtly, breaking her grip and escaping into the crowd. It took a bit of running, but Percy soon escaped into the sprawl of the city.

He couldn't go to his mom's right now, especially not when his face was about to be plastered all over the news and TV. He scoured his mind for an answer to the issue but could come up with none. However, he did know someone else who would have the answer.

Through the IM, Annabeth's gray eyes were focused on Percy, a web of thoughts shining through them. Percy had explained the situation, but only one explanation kept coming to mind. "No one took notice of your armor at first, right? Then, when you used your powers, all of the mortals could see it?" She asked, checking her facts. When Percy nodded, she stated her theory, "Percy, I think I know why the Mist wasn't working correctly. With everything the Avengers have been doing, the mortals are able to comprehend what's actually happening when a demigod makes high-profile actions. If a monster were to attack, I think the same thing might happen. When you were just walking around, there was nothing to draw the mortals' attention to you, but when you caught the woman with your powers…"

"It drew their attention…" Percy finished for Annabeth, his face drooping with understanding. Then, a new thought came to mind. "The reporter caught footage of me. If it's put on TV, then everyone will know what I can do. Everyone and everything in our world — not just me — will be exposed."

Annabeth seemed to have come to the same conclusion. For a moment, her expression was cold, calculating. Then, image wavering in the IM, she spoke, "What about Tony Stark? He's a genius, and he'd have the resources to keep the video from being broadcast. On top of that, you've spent time with the Avengers, so they might be inclined to help you."

"That might work. I'll look into it. Anyway, I've got to go, Wise Girl. I'll IM you later," Percy replied, swiping his hand through the image. With a breath, he dissolved into the air.

((A/N Another week, another chapter! Unfortunately, we're reaching a point at which I won't be able to update on a weekly basis. This is for a number of reasons. First, the story is catching up to what I've written. Second, I'm going to be in L.A. and San Diego for a while for Comic Con, and finally, I'll be a Junior Counselor at camp for a month up until the beginning of the school year. However, this doesn't mean that I won't be coming up with new future ideas for this and my other fanfics! Also, if any of you are interested, I'm thinking of finding a beta for this story. Just PM me, and we can talk it over! To finish this note, thank you to everyone who's followed/favorited/reviewed this story! It means so much to me! Kkoko88))


	5. Chapter 5

Percy solidified in the tower's kitchen, his foot firmly planted in a salad. He must have misjudged his landing point and ended up on the table by accident. Grimacing, he yanked his foot out of the salad, dropping to the floor. Percy swung around to find an irritated Natasha, fork in hand. The spy obviously liked her salad without foot. "Hi, Natasha… Miss me?" Percy asked, somewhat fearful for his life.

"So much, Jackson…" Natasha replied sarcastically, eyeing her crushed salad. Right now, she was the only Avenger in the kitchen, but she was sure JARVIS had alerted the others to Percy's presence. "What do you need?"

"How did you…"

"Know? Aside from your note, you disappeared without a trace, so you must have _some_ reason for coming back. On that note, what do you need?"

Percy smiled at the spy's deductive reasoning, remembering just how sharp she was. "Well, earlier, I saved a woman with my powers, and it was caught on camera by a reporter. If that video is put on TV or the internet, my entire world could be exposed, so I was hoping Tony might be able to use some of his hacking magic to help us out."

Natasha mulled this over for a moment, calculating. "I'll try to get in contact with Tony. Regrettably, he's presenting at a conference in England right now, and he's not exactly the type to answer his phone when he doesn't feel like it…"

A few minutes later, Natasha had tried — and failed—to get a hold of Tony. At this point, Percy was growing rather desperate, wondering what he could do now. His prayers were answered when a young woman in an inky black gown materialized, golden hair in a high Greek style ponytail and torches in hand. It was Hecate, goddess of magic and the Mist. "I mean you no harm, Avenger. It is quite the opposite, in fact. I wish to assist you," she stated, turning her eyes onto Natasha, who had managed to produce a gun from gods knew where.

"And how are you planning to do that?" Natasha inquired, fully prepared to shoot the goddess if her answer were unsatisfactory.

Slightly off-topic, the goddess commented, "Hmm… You have some skill with the Mist — the mortal version of it, at any rate." Hecate thought for a moment, her eyes gliding over Percy and Natasha. "I can minimize the exposure of the modern Greek world by wrapping the Mist so tightly around it that only the most clear-sighted of mortals could find anything amiss. Any monster attack or demigod use of powers will be twisted into an unrecognizable form."

"That's great! I'm definitely sensing a _but_ coming though," Percy responded warily, wondering where his first full day off of Olympus had gone so wrong…

"You are correct, Perseus. Already, you have garnered far too much attention for the Mist to cloak. However, not all is lost. The mortals know of you as a hero, but they know nothing of your connection to the gods and Olympus," explained Hecate.

That was when Natasha cut in, catching on to Hecate's train of thought. "He could say that he's just an enhanced being or some type of mutant. That way, the public would think of him not as a Greek demigod but as the result of a scientific experiment, like Wanda and Pietro," she said, already building a cover story to explain Percy and his powers.

Percy recognized that Natasha's idea could work well. It was a simple solution, one that could explain his powers and passive abilities without raising too many questions. "I think this might work. As long as the rest of the present day Greek world is safe, I can handle people knowing who I am and what I can do," Percy commented, giving Hecate a determined look.

"Very well, but you must always remain vigilant against exposing our world. Do not forget that, Perseus," the goddess responded, disappearing to attend to other matters.

Just as Hecate left, the elevator doors opened, admitting Steve, Clint, Bruce, and Thor into the kitchen. While all of them looked pleased to see Percy, Thor's expression was especially jubilant. "Perseus, it is magnificent to see you once again. How went your stay on Olympus?" Thor asked, clearly having heard of Percy's stay in the home of the gods. Briefly, the son of Poseidon wondered exactly how much the Greek and Norse pantheons stayed in contact, but he brushed it off quickly.

Percy grinned lopsidedly, replying, "Let's just say that I'm definitely glad to be back, even if I've already made a mess of things. Speaking of…" As he trailed off, he spun and snatched a remote, turning the TV on with the press of a button. Already, the news stations were running footage of the rescue, including the brief interview afterward.

On one channel, the reporter from before now sat behind a mahogany desk with a young man, discussing Percy's actions. "Look out, New York City, it looks like we have a new guardian, and his name is Riptide!" the woman exclaimed, staring right into the camera. Strangely, Percy felt as if she could see him through the screen. He shook the sensation off as the reporter continued, "To shed some light on this new hero, we have Lisa Kramer in the studio with us. Lisa, why don't you come on out?"

At this cue, a young woman stepped into the screen, the same girl Percy had saved. She took a seat on a plush couch beside the desk. "So, Lisa, would you mind describing the events that occurred this morning?" The man asked, flashing a smile at Lisa and the camera.

"I would be happy to, Bill," Lisa replied, but the idea didn't seem to please her. "This morning, I went to open a window, and then I found myself falling…" She pulled a strand of blond hair out of her face and continued, "The next thing I knew, a spout of water caught me and lowered me to the ground in front of a young man who was wearing some kind of armor, like Thor. Then, the man dropped his hands, and the water just somewhat… dissipated into the air." As Lisa spoke, a TV behind and to the side of the reporter and Bill displayed the video of Percy's actions, matching with the young woman's story.

Percy turned the TV off with a sigh, having seen enough. "That's right. I'm Percy Jackson, maker of massive messes…" the demigod admitted, smirking guiltily. "I came here hoping to get Tony's help with stopping the video from getting out, but it's a bit too late for that now."

"You can say that again," Clint commented, shaking his head slightly. "Stark's always there when you don't want him, and then he's not there when you do…"

Before Percy could make a witty reply, Steve jumped in and asked, "So, what's your game plan going forward?"

At first, Percy was silent. Then, he answered, "My world is safe from exposure, thanks to Hecate, but the public knows me as Riptide. I figure that I may as well make good use of my powers and keep helping the mortal world." Percy's eyes flicked to the window, noticing something. "Speaking of which, I can sense a powerful monster nearby."

"You can sense a —?!" Bruce broke off as screams broke out from the street.

"I'll deal with it, but I might need help with getting the mortals to safety," Percy said, dissolving into the air. When the half-blood reappeared on the street, he found himself facing a very familiar monster, the Hydra. It wasn't alone though; the Red Skull stood beside it, a smug smile on his face. "So, sunburned Voldemort is back with a friend. I should have known that HYDRA would have the Hydra on its side…" he spoke, slipping into his hero identity.

"Ah, Perseus… What are you calling yourself these days? Riptide? You may have escaped, but HYDRA will never stop chasing you," the Red Skull said, his accent thick as he spoke. All around them, mortals ran in fear, screaming and shouting. Police sirens wailed in the distance, but they were still ways off.

"You people are really stubborn, you know that?" Riptide questioned, drawing his silver sword from its scabbard, the same one he had reawakened with. In his other hand, he uncapped Riptide, gripping it lightly. At a thought, water solidified in the air, whipping violently around him. "I hope you don't think the Hydra is strong enough to stop me anymore. That would just be ridiculous…"

"You misunderstand, Riptide. The Hydra is not the only friend I brought with me today," the Red Skull answered, gesturing to the shadows. On cue, a dozen hellhounds materialized, accompanied by multiple cyclopes.

"You're not the only one who brought friends," retorted Riptide, just as the Avengers joined him. "Now that we're all here, how about we get this fight started?"

Water swirled around Riptide, threatening to slice through any hellhounds or cyclopes foolish enough to attack the demigod. On the other hand, Riptide was careful to leave the Hydra's heads intact. Beside the son of Poseidon, the other Avengers were making quick work of the other monsters, battering each monster until it burst into golden dust.

Something nagged at the back of Riptide's mind, but he just couldn't put his finger on what it was. Drawn from his thoughts, Riptide was caught off guard when a hellhound managed to get past his water barrier. The half-blood leaped back, taking off the hellhound's head with his celestial bronze sword. Caught up in battle, neither Riptide nor the Avengers noticed the Hydra slip away from the battlefield.

"How many of these things are there?" Riptide heard Ironman complain beside him.

"I don't know, but we'll take care of them. We have to," replied Captain America, determination flaring in his eyes. Now that Riptide's memories had returned, he could see why he had looked up to the World War II hero all throughout his childhood.

The monsters were coming wave after wave now, seemingly unending. Riptide's strength was flagging; he and the Avengers had to finish this soon, or they'd be swallowed up in the sea of monsters. The joke almost made Riptide chuckle, but any trace of humor disappeared from the young hero's demeanor as the Red Skull loomed ahead of him. Captain America joined Riptide, standing by his side. Prepared to fight, a space formed around the three combatants.

"Riptide… Captain… I thought you might be the ones to confront me. Unfortunately for you, HYDRA is not the true threat you face on this day," the Red Skull commented. A pit of dread coursed through Riptide now. There was a certain something missing from the battle, and that something was a multi-headed, acid-spitting lizard.

"Schist!" Riptide cursed, sensing three demigod auras about a dozen blocks away, as well as a more dangerous aura. "Captain, the Hydra's disappeared!" Captain America had just reached the same thought, but it was too late.

The ground bucked as a fiery explosion rocked through the city, knocking Riptide off his feet. His swords clattered across the asphalt, out of reach. A dull ringing fogged his thoughts and hearing, but he pushed himself to his feet, wobbling marginally. Slowly, Riptide's hearing returned, letting in screams of fear and panic. This day was growing worse and worse… The demigods' life forces were gone without a trace, and the Hydra's was moving out of Riptide's range.

Captain America rose to his feet, fury rolling off him in waves. "What have you done, Shmidt?" He demanded, roughly gripping the Red Skull by the collar.

The Red Skull chuckled, replying after a moment, "Oh, Captain… I did nothing. HYDRA may have made minor modifications to the Hydra, but the monster itself was only doing what monsters are known for doing…"

"And what's that?"

Now Riptide broke in, "Attacking heroes." The demigod stepped forward, coldly inspecting the Red Skull. "Monsters are known for attacking heroes. There were three demigods at the center of the explosion. They're dead now, along with however many mortals were in the blast zone."

"This is your only warning, Riptide. The next time HYDRA comes for you, be prepared to give yourself up, or the consequences will be much more severe," the Red Skull cautioned, breaking free of Captain America's grasp. He raised a hand, taking hold of a hellhound and melting into the shadows. "Camp Half-blood isn't safe for your kind any longer, demigod… Nowhere is…"

((A/N I'm back, readers! I asked a good friend of mine to post this while I was gone, but I guess that just never happened. Thus, here's the newest chapter! On another note, I'd like to thank OnlyABookworm, my beta! We had a bit of trouble getting up and running at first, but we're all good to go now. Finally, I'm working on setting a schedule to stay relatively timely on my updating. Currently, I'm thinking every other Sunday, starting September 6, 2015. With that, I'll bid all of you adieu. Kkoko88))


	6. Chapter 6

The Red Skull's words echoed through Percy's mind, even though hours had passed. The young demigod was lounging on the couch, staring at the TV, but his attention was elsewhere. The news channels weren't showing anything new anyway; all that played was video footage of the explosion and the gaping wound left in its wake. From what Percy could tell, the mortals thought a group of wannabe superheroes had taken on a supervillain, resulting in the destruction of two city blocks and the deaths of hundreds of innocents. A small elementary school was a smoldering heap now, no traces of the children remaining, nothing for families to bury.

The Avengers were all out, attempting to contain the damage, but Percy had been left in the tower with nothing to do. The demigod sat up stiffly, his attention fully on the screen, which had changed to an image of Tony at the scene of the explosion. The reporter who had caught Percy on film was interviewing the billionaire, warming him up with a few simple questions. Then, she asked the million dollar question, "Mr. Stark, there's been a growing movement for the documentation and training of superheroes, especially in the aftermath of this newest tragedy. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

Tony's normal cocky demeanor was nonexistent right now, replaced by a solemn, cold expression. "Three young heroes made a mistake today, one that has resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives. As I'm sure you know, Miss Smith, many of those lives belonged to the children enrolled in the school destroyed by the blast. By training heroes, I'm certain that blunders like this could be avoided in the future," Tony opined.

Percy let out a huff, his fists clenched so tightly they were white. "Damage control… Yeah, right," he grumbled. This was no mistake on the demigods' parts. It was an attack by HYDRA. Why was Tony lying about this? Percy flung the remote down, the TV black now. "Gods damned mortals, always ready to push the blame around." The demigod stood and took a deep breath, then another. Finally, he trudged to the elevator, a cold swim in mind. Maybe that would cool his temper.

The pool didn't help. Percy let the icy night air seep into his skin, a gust blowing his long hair all over the place. Out here on the streets, he was at home. The son of Poseidon could almost imagine that everything was as it used to be, when things were at least relatively simple.

The demigod continued walking, his anger giving way to reason. Exposing HYDRA would send the public into a mass panic. Tony's explanation was the lesser of two evils, but the billionaire had seemed a bit off during the interview. It was almost as if he were buying into the false account of the eruption, and his eyes had had a far off quality to them.

Hecate hadn't been lying when she had warned Percy that even the most clear-sighted of mortals would have a difficult time seeing through the Mist. The half-blood fidgeted with his trusty pen, a new question coming to mind. How would the Mist affect the other Avengers' perceptions of the explosion?

Percy was yanked from his thoughts as cold steel jabbed into his back. "Hand over your wallet, kid, and you might just live to see another day," a rough voice insisted. When Percy did nothing, the gun dug further into his back. "I ain't got all day, kid!"

The young hero smirked slightly, condensing the water over his would-be attacker's head and dropping it without a second thought. Percy turned deliberately, taking his time. The other man stumbled back, spluttering and wiping water from his eyes. "Shit, you're the superbrat who's been all over the news…"

"Yeah, and you're the unlucky guy who picked a superhero to mug. Good job, man. Really," Percy said with a thumbs up, sarcasm oozing from his voice. The mugger, a bit shaky, slid a knife from his boot, lunging for the demigod. Said demigod easily sidestepped the stab, pushing his opponent headlong into a wall. "Did that really seem like a good idea to you?"

"Shut up!" the mugger barked, faking left. Against his better instincts, Percy fell for it, cursing as the man ducked right with a sweep of the knife. Red-gold blood dripped to the ground, glittering in the light from the deserted street. The criminal paused, staring at the golden blood. "How is that possible?" He turned his gaze to Percy, whose wound was already closing. "What are you?"

The mugger warily took one step back, then another and another, finally turning to flee. However, Percy was ready for that. A bubble of water coalesced around the man's legs, tripping him up, and another bubbled trapped his arms. With a thought, the water froze solid, leaving the mugger pinned to the sidewalk.

"The police will come by eventually. For now, you can chill out," Percy explained. Without another word, he strolled into the night, prepared to face the Avengers.

—Line Break—

Eight Days Later

It turned out that, of the Avengers, only Steve could remember the truth. Deep down, Percy had hoped for more. On top of that, the mortal version of the attack was sowing discord among heroes and regular citizens alike.

Percy closed his eyes, gulping down a glass of water. He took another swig, thoughts swirling violently, like a raging storm. Civilian attacks on superheroes were increasing daily, the latest victim of which was Johnny Storm, the Human Torch. On top of that, public opinion on superhero registration was swiftly tearing the nation into separate camps. It was a mess, pure and simple.

Percy's eyes drifted to the clock, and he nearly choked on his water. He was supposed to meet Annabeth at 6:30 for a dinner date/strategy session, and it was 6:20 already… Ten minutes later, Percy waited outside the restaurant, dressed in a blue button-down shirt and dark slacks. He had managed to tame his hair a bit, but it was still as wild and wind-blown as ever.

"You clean up well, Seaweed Brain…" Annabeth commented softly, appearing from the crowds of New Yorkers on the sidewalk. She was wearing a flowy silver blouse with a jean jacket and black leggings. Percy couldn't help but stare. "You're going to catch flies like that, Percy," she added, gently lifting her boyfriend's jaw with a nudge.

Percy snapped out of it with a grin, taking Annabeth's hand and leading her inside. "Come on. We have reservations for…" he paused to check his watch before continuing, "right now, actually."

—Line Break—

By the time the main meal arrived, the two demigods were down to business. "Percy, this turning into another civil war," Annabeth bluntly stated, her gray eyes fixed on Percy's.

"It's worse than the Second Giant War, isn't it?" He asked. Annabeth nodded, cutting into her steak. "We need to come up with something the two camps can agree on, but what?"

The pair ate in silence, thinking. "Camp Half-Blood is primarily filled with those against superhero registration. Camp Jupiter is swinging in the opposite direction, with heated supporters of registration," Annabeth thought aloud. "Maybe we could hold our own training for all demigods without registration. That could appease both camps…"

The son of Poseidon shook his head. "I'm sorry, Wise Girl, but I don't think we should. Demigods aren't superheroes. We fight because we're hunted, because we have no other choice," he replied, pushing his plate aside. Percy was a demigod, but he was also a superhero now. Whatever happened next, he would have to choose a side, but the others had another choice.

Annabeth sighed, Percy's thoughts as clear as day. "You want us to be neutral," she stated. "I can't just leave you to deal with this by yourself, Percy. I won't lose you again."

Percy reached across the small dinner table, gripping Annabeth's hands tightly. He looked her in the eyes, trying to smile but failing. "You won't lose me, not this time."

"Not ever, if you'd just let me help you."

"The camps will never agree to join a single side, and they'll both need strong leaders to light the way. You know that."

"Camp Jupiter has Reyna and Frank, and Camp Half-Blood has plenty of heroes who can lead."

"There's no one like you at camp," Percy argued, gingerly kissing Annabeth on the lips. They were salty where a stray tear had fallen. "You're the only one who can do this."

Annabeth returned the kiss, defeated. "Gods, Seaweed Brain… You infuriate me sometimes…" she responded. "I'll contact Reyna and Frank as soon as I get back to camp."

"I love you, Wise Girl."

"I love you too, Seaweed Brain."

—Line Break—

Later that night, Percy found himself at his mom's apartment. Returning to the tower just didn't seem right. Of course, his mom was happy to have him. She and Paul were doing well, and Percy even had a half-sister now. The little girl was born a year before Percy's escape from HYDRA, and it was always amazing how fast she grew each time he saw her.

Stepping into the apartment, the son of Poseidon was greeted by the tiny Harper Jackson-Blofis, long curly brown hair swaying as she toddled forward. "Percy! Mommy, Percy's home!" She called out, hurdling into her half-brother's arms.

"Hey there, Sea Turtle! What's up?" Percy asked, grinning as he spun the child around.

Harper giggled at her nickname, smiling widely. Her blue eyes were lit up as she excitedly answered, "We saw you on the TV, and Mommy and Daddy were really happy!"

Percy chuckled before replying, "That's awesome, and do I see a tooth missing from that smile of yours?"

"Yeah! I lost it last week, and the Tooth Fairy came and left money under my pillow!"

Harper wiggled around, dropping to the floor and running to Sally and Paul. Percy followed her, embracing his mom when she stood to greet him. "Hey, Mom. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has. You sure have been busy with the Avengers, haven't you?" Sally observed, her cheerful tone shadowed by something else.

Percy hated to worry his mother, but he didn't always have much of a choice in the matter. "Mom, everything'll work out in the end, registration or no registration."

Sally had more gray hair than Percy remembered, but she still looked as young as ever. "You'd better come back to us, safe and sound, young man. Understand?" she asked, and Percy nodded, grinning.

Paul smiled at his stepson before speaking, "I think you might want one of these if you're going to keep being a superhero." He fumbled around in a pocket, pulling out a strip of fabric. Percy took the offered strip, examining it. "It's a mask," Paul explained. "Your identity is much more important now, so you should be careful."

"You're right! I didn't even think about that," Percy replied, lifting the mask over his eyes. It was black, fading to sea green around the edges, and it fit the demigod's face perfectly. As soon as the mask touched Percy's skin, it fused to his skin. "Where did you get this, Paul?"

Sally answered this one, "It was delivered this morning from Olympus. I think you can figure out who it's from."

—Line Break—

Percy stared down at the assorted newspapers in front of him, disappointed. The first one's headlines read, "Registration Act Passed by Congress." Another said, "Captain America Goes Into Hiding." A third newspaper declared, "Tony Stark Now Backing Superhero Reform." Annabeth had convinced both camps to remain neutral, but Percy didn't have that luxury. He knew he would have to choose who to back soon, but still he hesitated.

Three days after returning to the apartment, Percy was no closer to making a decision. The mask lay on the table, next to the newspapers. It sat there, a silent message from Poseidon. A knock on the door sounded, and Percy stuffed the mask into his pocket.

When Percy opened the door, he found himself face to face with Tony. "Tony," the demigod grunted, breaking off the staring contest.

"You haven't been at the tower," Tony responded, pushing past Percy into the apartment. "We thought you might have joined the Capsicle."

"No, but I don't know what I'm going to do yet."

"What about your people?"

"Both camps have come to a decision. They won't join either side, Steve's or yours, as long as they're left out of this."

Tony continued through the apartment, stopping in the kitchen. "This is where your family lives, I assume," he said, lifting a picture frame. The photo was of Sally, Paul, Percy, and Harper at the beach. It was from the last time Percy visited in person, when he had learned that Harper could see the Mist. The little girl was just as clear sighted as her mother, if not more so. She had easily seen a group of hippocampi in the waters off of the coast. She had delighted in the horse-fish skimming over the waves.

The thought of the child hardened Percy's expression. Harper was still asleep, another room over. The demigod was supposed to take her to school in an hour and a half. "Don't make the mistake of threatening my family, Tony," Percy warned, the green of his eyes growing cold and dark.

Tony replaced the photo, letting out a sigh. Finally, he responded, "I had no intentions of doing so, but I hoped you would join me. I'm thought you would see that what we're doing is right."

"And if I don't? Will you lock me up in this 'Number Forty-Two' place that you've been cooking up?" Percy demanded, running a hand through his messy hair. Tony, taken aback, turned to the demigod, seeing the conflict burning there. "Look, you've got me between a rock and a hard place right now. I see the good in your plan, but I also see it in Steve's. It's that simple, Tony."

—Line Break—

Brushing off Tony's visit, Percy shut the door behind him. He couldn't stop thinking now that the billionaire was gone. He had mentioned the "Number Forty-Two" in passing, but Tony's reaction had solidified Percy's fears. He had hoped his dream of a prison for superheroes was just a nightmare, but it must have been a warning from the gods. Needless to say, Percy decision was made.

((A/N Finally finished with the newest chapter! I hope all of you readers enjoyed it! Anyway, I'm going to try to have the next chapter out by September 20, two weeks from now. Aside from that, I don't have too much news, but I _do_ have to say that I'm getting super pumped for Captain America: Civil War, especially after writing this! Anyway, be sure to leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter, or even if you didn't enjoy it!))


	7. Note to Readers :)

Hey readers!

Long time, no see! Anyway, I'm sorry that this isn't a new chapter, but I've been very busy with school and applying to colleges. As well as this, there have been a few reviews that made me want to go back and rewrite the story so far, so I've been working on that. In fact, I think I've already improved a lot of the first chapter, which I'll be updating just a few minutes after I post this update :). This does mean, however, that I **_do_** have new content for all of you to read! I've definitely changed a bit, which I hope you enjoy, and I hope to keep re-releasing each chapter in the near future. Anyway, I'll be off now, but I definitely recommend reading the new Chapter 1 and reviewing! Thanks for your time!

Kkoko88


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